Eat Like You Care: An Examination of the Morality of Eating Animals By Gary L. Francione & Anna Charlton
From All-Creatures.org Book Reviews/Interviews

Author: Gary L. Francione & Anna Charlton

Several Reviews

Publisher: Exempla Press

Eat Like You Care
Eating Animals: An Examination of the Morality of Eating Animals
Available at Bookfinder.com
ISBN:1492386510
ISBN13:9781492386513

Reviews:

This is a great book to give to anyone whose decision-making is based on left-brain thinking. Francione is a polarizing and controversial figure in the Animal Rights Movement. However, this book, co-written with Anna Charlton, concisely makes an airtight case for veganism. To his credit, Francione starts with the premise that human needs take precedence over the needs of animals. Many vegans, and probably Francione himself, believe otherwise. But the fact remains that the vast majority of people prioritize human needs. But that doesn't weaken the case for veganism, since we don't need to consume animal products. All that matters, as the authors point out, is that we believe that animals merit our moral concern. That's a belief shared by the overwhelming majority of people.
- Jeffrey Cohan, Jewish Vegetarians

I found this book to be unsettling, given the deft way it brought me face to face with the hypocrisy I have lived with . . . until now. All my life I have been a passionate animal lover, yet I have always consumed the typical, animal products- centered diet. Now I finally see that consuming animal products by a compassionate animal lover is hypocrisy at its worst. Even for those indifferent to animals, the authors' summary of the extreme environmental degradation caused by the meat, dairy and poultry industries needs to serve as a wake-up call. This quick read is an excellent follow-up to either The End of Food or What the Health.
- Heather CC09 (Amazon review)

"Eat Like You Care" is an essential, empowering read for anyone who cares about animals. This slim but compelling volume should be required reading in every high school, college classroom, faith community and social justice circle. Professors Francione & Charlton's approach is extremely accessible, straightforward and logical, and their presentation of the moral arguments for ethical veganism can only be described as airtight. A book with truly international scope and appeal, it has already been translated into nine languages since its initial publication in 2013 (apparently with more to come), including Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian and Russian. Indeed, "Eat Like You Care" would appear destined to become a modern classic, not merely in the realm of animal ethics, but in the literatures of social justice and moral philosophy as well. Most highly recommended, without hesitation or equivocation.
- Tracy McDonnell (Amazon review)

I would recommend this book to everyone. It explains the moral reasoning behind vegan eating on its most basic levels and addresses literally every question or objection non-vegans have for vegans in very respectful, logical and simple ways. Since it's written by lawyers, at times the sentences can be a bit long and over-explanatory, but it isn't difficult for the adult reader to piece together the point of each sentence. If you are a vegan it gives you excellent, straight-forward logic with which to address the questions you may be asked. If you are a non-vegan, it helps you see that there really is no realistic exception that allows for the consumption of animal products. Not a long read either. I finished in about 2 days but if you had the time you could finish in 2-3 hours.
- Elle8 (Amazon review)

This book is thought-provoking, compelling and extremely accessible. Whilst one doesn't necessarily need to agree with some the theoretical foundations proposed, or with some of the views expressed, e.g. that we’re all Michael Vick, this book is enormously beneficial. An argument for veganism is elegantly presented as being based on two intuitive principles: the first principle is that we have a moral obligation not to impose unnecessary suffering on animals. It follows from this principle that if animals matter morally at all, we cannot consume them or products made from them and we are committed to a vegan diet. The second principle is that although animals matter morally, humans matter more. Regardless of whether you agree with the theoretical foundation proposed for veganism, Eat Like You Care is excellent at responding to the most common questions and objections to veganism, such as “where do you get your protein from?” and “What would happen to all those animals if we did not eat them?” and a long list of similar “buts” that vegans are often confronted with. The book ends with a defence of veganism against the charge of extremism and concludes as follows: “What is extreme is that we say we care about animals but we continue to eat animals and animal products.” If you’re a relatively new vegan, you’ll feel more empowered to answer awkward questions with conviction, and you’ll be even more determined to educate yourself further on the subject by further reading and reflecting. If you're not a vegan but care at all about animals, I hope that this book will seriously challenge your convictions.
- Susy P  (Amazon review)

If not yet vegan, these are questions to consider. If now vegan, these are the questions you probably asked yourself while on your journey. The journey continues, and this book is a good tool to take with you.
- R Mihalcik (Amazon review)

About the Authors:

Gary L. Francione is Board of Governors Professor, Distinguished Professor Law and Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Scholar of Law and Philosophy at Rutgers University School of Law. Anna Charlton is Adjunct Professor of Law at Rutgers University School of Law. She was the co-founder and co-director (with Gary L. Francione) of the Rutgers Animal Rights Law Clinic from 1990-2000. 


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